Street indicator



March v18,v 1930.

M. M. FINN 1,750,999

STREET INDI CATOR Filed May 14, 1928 2 Sl'xeets-SheeI l [ILL CRC

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Me 31a/vanto@ March 18, 19304 M, M FINN 1,750,999

l STREET INDICATOR Filed May 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 18, 1930 MATTHEW? M. FINN, OF'SIO'X.L CITY, IOWAA 1 STREET INDICATOR n Application filed May 14,

Myinvention relates to Street indicators for use on street railway cars, interurbans and the like, and has for itsobject to provide a display indicator which' maybeeasily readl by the occupantsof the vehicle and which is electrically controlled by a switch board, conveniently situated near the operator of the vehicle. l i

More particularly, it is my object to providesuch an indicator in conjunction witha directory, the names-of the crossings on aparticular line being given', alphabetically andv being numbered and the indicator being adapted to indicate in'large charactersthe number of each street, consecutively.

A further object is to provide such'an'in: dicator in which any number from 0 to 1,000 (with a few exceptions) can bedisplayed, a minimum numberfofdigits for buildingmup the combinations of digits forproducing various numbersibeing employed.

MoreV particularly, it is ,my lobject to provide an indicatorhavinga plurality Vof rows of digits displayedvr on atransparent or translucent plate, each digit being capable of beingA illuminated behindtheplate by anindividual lamp, the .digits illuminated serving.

to indicate to the passenger'the` number'of the crossing `for whichv the motorman is giving the signal.

A further object-ifs to provide such a combination of digits, so arranged that' a number maybe displayed so as toread from left to right and downwardly, thus to avoid (mis-V takes `in reading they numbers.v c

AY still further object; of my" invention is to provide a suitable casing carrying the digits, together with a panel upon whichv the individual lamps are mounted, the casingl being mounted so that it may be quickly removedto give access to the lamps without entirely removing it.

Finally, it is my object to provide an indicator system including an indicator and a switch board, so constructed as to be readily adaptable to any one of a numberV of street car lines requiring different information, relative to'thenames of the crossings;-

Withthese andother objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction,l ar

ytal arms 11M are provided with U Vshaped 1928. Serial No.- 277,661.

rangement and combination of thevarious parts of my device, wherebythe objects contemplated are attained,4as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich: e W

Fig. 1 is a front elevation ofthe indicator. Fig. 2 ris afront elevation ofthe switchboard, a portion of, thewire circuit being shown in'rdiagram.

Fig. 3 is a sideview of the'indicator. Fig. ,4: is ya vertical, sectional view through' the indicator. A f v Fig.- 5 is lafdetail, vertical-sectional viewtaken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, 65 Fig. 6 is aI detail View of a,- portion of the supporting bracket, and,

Fig.- 7 is a view of a portion ofthe directory.V Y I have used the referencecharacter 10viny Fig. 3 to indicate generallyv a portion of one of the `walls of a Streetcar or a similar vehicle upon which the indicator may; be mounted. A pair of l; shapedI brackets are secured to the wall 104in any manner, such as by means of the nutsV 13," threaded upon the arms-11. The lower ends of the vertical v'portions 12 are providedwith yheads 14 andthe horizonyokes 15.` B0.

' The indicator casing has the side walls'16, the upper and lower walls 17 and, aflange 18 surrounding a sight opening. This opening is closed by a Vglass 19, which may be held in place'by any conventional means such as a loop 26.-y

In the4 side walls 16 are a pair of eyes21, which receive the arms ofthe brackets andv whichnormally rest inthe lyokes 15,.y The yokes 15 are positioned so as tobring the casing substantially in contact with the wall 10 when the eyes 21 kare restingjwithin the yokes 18.

By lifting slightly upon the casing, the eyes 21 may thenV be slid along the arms l1 so as to move the casing 16 directly awayfrom the wall 10, clearing the lamps 22, which are mounted in sockets 23, secured upon a panel`24, which;inturn-maybesecuredfto- Lthe wallv l0 by allysutable means;

The brackets and panel are so positoned relative to each other that the panel will be snugly inclosed withinV the casing'when the latter is in its normal position shown in full Y Vlines in the drawings.

' The casing may be dropped vertically after having been moved to a point wherethe loops 21 have-followedfthe arm around V the corner and will .be supported upon the heads'14 inl its lowered position,as shown in'dotted lines the panel entirelyopen for inspection orremoval ofthe lamps 22.

y Either the casing or thepanelis. provided with a plurality of crossed 'partition members 2 '5 and l26, which lform a cellularstructure inclosingeach lampin an individual compartment so that light from that lamp `will illuminate only a definite portion of the face of theyglass19. g l. 7 Y .o

Referring now to Fig. 1, wherein the parti- Y tions 25 .and 26 areindicated in dotted lines,

ajdigit 27fis-imprinted upon the glass 19 in some manner; so vthat it will plainly appear when the glass is illuminated'fromi-behind.

Forinstance, the-glass may be shadedover all ofitssurface except the portions occupied by the digits 27 and the lightv will thus n shine through these digits. .In'an opposite manner, the digits might be painted with an opaque substance"` and the. light allowed Y. to

shine aroundV them. Iprovide ten'verticalvk rows yof i, digits,.nu1nbered 28,29, $30, l31, 32, Y 33, .34, 35, 36, andk 37, respectively, and three Y v horizontal rows .of digits numbered Y38,139V

*y and 40, respectively'. V The iirst horizontal i Y 5a 47 A rllhe third rouw is identical vto the rst row., VV'Thus .lowing order: f

row includes the following digits in the fol- 5" i 2173." 41.55.7021@ 8,1419' i j The i second horizontal row Vcontains thev following' digits in the following order:

, the OHOWIlg arrangement digits is "obtainetziv:nV f 'I i'.l y

Hem-1 Nsoo'ww-koo prima orrcbor een@ @ncar @ico-a' coloco Dr-'lcd lnow 'be seen that'almostany combii nation of digits may be had to produce prac-y posed?v of digits in the column 39.. `and the third digit in 'the co1umn40,

tically Yany number from 0' tok 1,000, and eachy number reafd` vfrom `left tof-right e and' downwardly. l VFor instance, the number V123 will becomposed'offthe first threey digits lin the column38. The n'umber122' will be composed of the iirsty two kdigits inthe column 38 and lthe next vkto the last idigit inthe column 39,.

' kThe number 983 will be comthus-98 3. inclusive, may be used.

Any number from 974V to 979, inclusive,

may be used. 1` Any number from 965 to 979, inclusive, lmay be used.

Thenumbersr983 up to 989, i

.It will nowfbe noted that each `of the coli umns 38', 39and'40 include all of 'thefdigits to read and are preferable for use over otherk 'i numbers. Numbers having 0 Vfor their middle 43 in Fig. 1.-It carries a number of push buttons 44, arranged in columns and imprintedy withcharactersidentical tosfthose of ythe in-l dicator.v In addition, the switchboard fhas a large city employingthe vfrom Oto 9, inclusive.: The zeros are placed in the center of the horizontalcolumn for the reasonthatnumbersflincluding 0 are easier .The switchboard is indicated generallyfat'A button 45 for disconnecting :the'indicatorso o that it may not beoperated, v i

VAThe electrical circuit.includes a-sourceof current 46, whichv is grounded at 47an'd con-V nected by thewire 48 to the button 45..Av The a wire 49-'to all of the other buttons 44.2',

f ,o Each ofthe switch buttons44'isthence con-'py neoted b y an individual wire l50l to :its corre# spondingilamp22, as shown in Fig. The' Y Y lamps inturn aregrounded`asfat 53', so thatv when any Aof the buttons on the-push boardis pressed, its`corresponding lamp Vwill light;v

The entire circuit, includes a 'number of but-1 tons and afnumbery of lamps vin parallel, j` 1 The two lamps which light the (transfer),

y button thence carriesthe current by means of compartments are connected'to all ofthe llamps for the compartments 41so that when Y any ofthe lamps intheicompartments 41 are minated. ,y f if The directory is indicated generallyfat 54 in FigJZ andliisprovidedwith columns 55 Jof names `of street. crossings, arranged alphalighted, the word transfer will also be illuf ybetically together with columns 5 6 ofj num`V bers vcorresponding to the'particular crossings. K n The directory.includesevery .street inthe city; The motorman will be-provided with a guide -sheet,n ot illustrated in .t-he drawing,

including onlythe names of the streets on his-line'in theirproper order and their coro responding numbers. Thev streets will pref-g erably be numbered in rotation so that it is only necessary for the motorman to present the next highest number as each street is approached.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a crossing indicator, a casing having a glass covered sight opening, a panel, lamps Amounted on said panel, a pair of inverted L-shaped brackets, sliding, pivotal connections between the casing and said brackets, allowing the casing to be first moved away from the panel to clear the lamps and then to be dropped vertically.

2. In a crossing indicator, illuminating means, a panel on which said means is mounted, a casing having a glass covered sight opening, normally covering the illuminating means and panel, a pair of inverted L shaped brackets, provided with horizontal arms` secured to the panel and vertical arms depending therefrom, and sliding, pivotal connections between the casing and said bracket arms, allowing the casing to be irst moved away from the panel to clear the lamps and then to be dropped vertically. i

3. In a crossing indicator, illuminating means, a panel on which said means is mounted, a casing having a glass covered sight opening, normally covering the illuminating means and panel, a pair of inverted L shaped brackets, provided withv horizontal arms secured to the panel and vertical arms depending therefrom, and sliding, pivotal connections between the casing and said bracket arms, allowing the casing to be first moved away from the panel to clear the lamps and then to be dropped vertically, said horizontal arms being provided with depressions to receive said connections when the casing is in place covering the panel.

4. In a crossing indicator, illuminating means, a panel on which said means is mounted, a casing having a glass covered sight opening, normally covering the illuminating means and panel, a pair of inverted L shaped brackets, provided with horizontal arms secured to the panel and vertical arms depending therefrom, sliding,pivotal connections between the casing and said bracket arms, allowing the casing to be first moved away from the panel to clear the lamps and then to be dropped vertically, and stops at the lower ends of the vertical arms.

Signed this 8th day of May, 1928, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa.

MATTHEW M. FINN. 

